AATCC Concept to Consumer Student Competition

Honorable Mention: Fruity Paradise by Morgan Young, University of Delaware

Young is a junior at the University of Delaware majoring in Apparel Design with a minor in Spanish. "Being a participant in the competition, I learned a lot about the many issues faced by children with disabilities. It is not often that people think about these issues, but being able to problem solve and potentially make a difference in someone's life was my motivation in this competition," says Young. Young's plans include continuing a company that she recently co-founded called AndAgain. "We focus on up-cycling denim and combating the issues of sustainability within the fashion world," Young says. "Working through issues that children face in their everyday lives pushed my creativity levels and I know this will help me in my future by giving me the motivation to keep pursuing more innovative ideas."

2nd Place: Kids in Motion by Caroline DeRosa, University of Delaware

DeRosa just graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising and Minor in Business Administration from the University of Delaware. "From this competition, I learned a lot about individuals with special needs and the devices used for their transportation and safety. Not only did I learn a lot about product specifics, but I also learned that there is a high amount of detail and research that goes into planning for a new product and how to merchandise for it," she says.

She will be starting a career at Coach Inc. as an Assistant Buyer for Women's Full Price, Small Leather Goods. This project will be very rele- vant to DeRosa's career as a Buyer. She learned how to put together a financial plan, marketing plan, and make a product assortment with various functions and colors so that it is attractive to a variety of customers.